Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Review of The Tale of Birle by Cynthia Voigt

Synopsis:"After agreeing to marry Muir to get out of her oppressive life as an innkeeper's daughter, Birle finds herself falling in love with a supposed thief and opts to escape her upcoming marriage and finds that her new love isn't what he seemed."

My Review: I don't think that synopsis really give a full idea of what this tale encompasses, but I struggle to give another one that can cover the story that it is. This is a very slow moving story with not a lot of action but more observations of the world around Birle. The characters go through many changes throughout the story, hence the previous title of On Fortune's Wheel. I was kind of expecting this book to pick up right where Tale of Gwyn left off but was a little disappointed to find that it didn't, it takes place a few generations later. I was also a little surprised at how little the way of life and rules in the Kingdom had changed. Birle is an interesting character who doesn't really seem to care about too much the entire story but becomes a rather solid and reliable character to read. I really enjoyed the other main characters and sub characters introduced as well. The message you walk away from the story remembering is also a very good one, finding yourself and standing by who you are and those that really care will stand with you. You also get an understanding about life's up and downs and not giving into the downs. This is a book that will stick with you well after putting it down.

My Rating: While this second book in the series wasn't quite as captivating to read as the first book, it was still very well written. I think with these books you really need to be in the mood for a slow moving and reflective read. I give this one a rating of Three Paws.

Another great Kingdom story by a wonderful author. The main character is a strong young woman--appealing, courageous, and smart. I just wish they'd just kept the original name (On Fortune's Wheel) for the Kindle version.